a scene from the episode "The Devil Wears Armor". Cancellation Bearcats!, despite a large promotional campaign prior to its premiere and having a loyal fan base, lost in the Nielsen ratings to both The Flip Wilson Show on NBC and a more traditional Western, Alias Smith and Jones, on ABC, and was cancelled midseason. Episodes Broadcasts The series was shown extensively overseas, including Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Its pilot film, Powderkeg, was released as a theatrical feature overseas. Home media On May 14, 2013, Timeless Media Group released Bearcats! – The Complete Series in a three-DVD set in Region 1. The 90-minute pilot episode "Powderkeg" is not included, but was released as a standalone DVD or as part of the "20 Great Westerns: Heroes and Bandits" DVD box set produced by TGG Direct. Original novel based on the series When the series was announced, paperback publisher Award Books licensed book rights to Bearcats! and commissioned an original novel by veteran Western novelist W.T. Ballard, to be published in 1971, under his tie-in pseudonym "Brian Fox" (a by-line he had employed often when working for Award). But when the TV series was canceled before the book could be made ready for distribution, the book was canceled in turn. Ballard, apparently unwilling to let the novel go unpublished, retitled it, slapped on another of his pseudonyms, and, without so much as changing the names of its heroes, sold the book again to unsuspecting publisher Ballantine Books—who released it in December, 1972 under the title Hell Hole as by "John Hunter." The connection was not discovered during Ballard's lifetime. References Other sources Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows "Still Hitting on All Four". Author not listed. TV Guide, September 18, 1971. Heyes, Douglas, Bearcats! - The Complete Television Series, Timeless Media Group, UPC 011301675767, 14 May 2013. External links (Pilot) Bearcats! at the Internet Movie Cars Database Page on the series at the Rod Taylor site 1971 American television series debuts 1971 American television series endings Fiction set in 1914 CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series set in the 1910s Television series by MGM Television 1970s Western (genre) television series World War I television series Television shows filmed in Arizona Television shows filmed in New Mexico Television series by Filmways